Pipe feeding device



Jan. 27, 1953 w. A. KRANER 2,626,717

' PIPE FEEDING- DEVICE Filed April 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.Warren 14, Kramer TTOR/VE Y5 Jan. 27, 1953 w. A. KRANER PIPE FEEDINGDEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1950 EN TOR.

Warren A. Mane/- ,4 7' TOENE Y5 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTR. WarrenA/(raner HTTOR/VE V5 W. A. KRANER PIPE FEEDING DEVICE Jan. 27, 1953 Filed April 29, 1950 Jan. 27 1953 w. A. KRANER 2,626,717

PIPE FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 29. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PIE IE\ TTORNEY5 ?atented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED zen? 3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to feeding machines such as are usefulto supply pipe or conduit to coating, wrapping or other processingoperations, at controlled longitudinal and rotational rates.

Various machines have been developed for performingprocessing operationson steel pipe such as is used in water, gas or oil distribution systems.For example, in some instances it is desirable to feed used pipe todevices whichserve to remove scale and other foreign material for thepurpose of conditioning the pipe for coating operations. In otherinstances new or cleaned pipe is supplied to operations for applying ahelicoidally wound protective wrapping or other type of coating. In someof the more elaborate machines the pipe may be fed continuously throughboth cleaning and coating operations. In all such machines it isnecessary to provide accurate means for feeding the pipe at a controlledrate. In most instances it is desirable for the pipe to rotate at apredetermined speed, while advancing the same in a longitudinaldirection. It is desirable to have the rate of feed adjustable over arelatively wide range at the will of the operator. This is importantbecause in operations such as application of a protective coating in theform of a helicoidal wrap, proper wrapping of the adjacent convolutionsis dependent upon proper feeding of the pipe. Also in such wrappingoperations it is desirable to turn the pipe at a relatively slowconstant rate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pipefeeding machine which can be used to advantage in conjunction with pipecleaning or pipe coating operations, and which enables close regulationand adjustment of the feed rate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel machine of theabove character having novel provision for controlling and adjusting ofthe longitudinal rate of feed of the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the abovecharacter which can be adjusted with respect to the rate of feed whilethe machine is in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the abovecharacter which can be employed to feed two pipes simultaneously.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth indetail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, and

illustrating a machine incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front View of the same machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view takenv along the line 3-3 of Figure1.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail taken along the line i-fi of Figure1, and on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentaryv detail illustrating particularly the rollerswhich engage the inner sides of the two pipes, and the adjustablemounting for the same.

Figure 7 i a side view of the same mechanism illustrated in Figure 6.

In general my machine consists of a suitable base support or frame it,which serves to carry all of the working parts. Vertically extendingstructural members H are secured to the base, and are connected at theirupper ends by the cross-beams or structural members l2. Preferably themachine is constructed to simultaneously feed two pipes such asindicated by the numerals 13 in Figures 3 and 5. When being fed by themachine these pipes extend side by side and parallel, and are fedhorizontally to a pipe cleaning, coating or wrapping machine which mayfor example be located to the left of the machine as illustrated inFigure 2.

The pipes are engagedat two points along their lower sides by the driverollers M. The rollers it are grouped in two sets as shown particularlyin Figure 2, whereby two aligned rollers engage r the lower side of apipe at longitudinally spaced points.

Themeans for supporting and for driving each of the rollers ii is thesame in each instance, and is preferably as follows: As shownparticularly in Figure 4 each roller I4 is carried by a shaft IE, whichin turn is carried by the bearing blocks ii. A plate 13 underlie theshaft is and carries brackets l9 which in turn serve to mount thejournal blocks I7. Plate 3 has arcuately contoured end portions 2| whichare engaged by the arcuate flanged members 22. A plate 23 forms ineiiect a supporting table for plate l8, and also serves to mount theretaining members 22. Each plate 23 is fixed to the base of the machineby brackets 24. The plate I3, together with bracket 19 and the partssupported by the same for journaling the roller Hi, can be termed a headwhich is adjustable about a vertical axis whereby the roller can beturned to change its angular position with respect to the pipe. Thevertical axis intersects the axis of the roller shaft l6.

As shown particularly in Figure 2 it is desirable to connect twoadjacent heads together for conjoint adjustment. Thus links 26 arepivotally attached at 21 to the adjacent plates l8, and are providedwith a turnbuckle arrangement 28 to facilitate setting the adjacentdrive rollers Id at the same angle.

Manual means is provided for changing the angular setting of all of theheads and the drive rollers M. For this purpose a shaft 29 is journaledalong one side of the machine (Figure 1) and is provided with worm gears3| for engaging the worm gear racks 32. Upon turning the hand wheel 33,which is attached to one end of the shaft 29, the plates Hi, to whichthe racks 32 are secured, are turned to a desired angle.

The roller M can be suitably constructed to provide a resilient frictionsurface for engaging and driving the pipe. Thus each roller mayconsist'of a metal hub 34, which serves to support a ring 35. This ringforms in effect a replaceable rubber tire, and can be formed of suitableresilient material such as synthetic'rubber, which will provide a propergrip upon the surface of the pipe. It is retained on the hub by thebolts 35a, which extend through the flange 34a of the hub 3 Each of therollers I4 is driven to rotate and advance the engaged pipe at apredetermined speed. The driving means employed for this purpose isarranged concentric with the axis about which each roller is adjustable.Thus below each support plate 23, there are two gear boxes 36 (Figure3), the gears of which connect with the horizontal shafts 31. Each shaft3'? is suitably journaled as by means of the journal boxes 03.

Extending below the shafts 31, there is a longitudinal drive shaft 39.This shaft is driven by suitable means such as the electric motor ti,which connects with the shaft through the multisheave pulleys 42, 43 andthe V belts 4d. Shaft 39 carries a drive pinion 46, which meshes withthe two gears 61. These gears are loose upon the shafts 31, but areadapted to have driving relation with the same through the clutches 33.Clutch shift levers 49 operatively engage the moving parts of clutches48, and may be operated from a remote point, through the shafts 52, arms53, 54 (Figure 2) and links 56, 57.

Vertical shafts 58 connect with the gears within the boxes 35, and theupper ends of these shafts are journaled as by means of ball bearingassemblies 59 to the plates i8. is secured to the upper end of eachshaft 58, and meshes with a bevel gear 6619, which in turn is secured tothe shaft [6. Thus when a shaft 58 is rotated, the bevel gears causecontinuous rotation of shaft [6, and such rotation takes places for anyangular setting of shaft l5 relative to the aXis of the pipe.

Additional means is provided for retaining the pipes on a definite feedaxis, and for urging the same into frictional relation with the rollersM. Thus the upper sides of the pipe are engaged by the hold down rollers6! (Figure 3). Each of these rollers is journaled to a forked member 82,which in turn is attached to the lower end of a vertical shaft 63.Castings 64 are carried by the cross-beam l2, and form means formounting the shafts 63 whereby these shafts are free to slide a limiteddistance in a vertical direction. Upper and lower collars 66 and 61 areadjustably secured to each shaft 63, and function as limit- A bevel gear80a ing stops. Each shaft 63 is urged downwardly toward the pipe beingengaged by spring means which can be constructed as follows; An arm 68is pivotally secured at 69 to a stud H, which in turn is secured to thebeam l2. Each lever 68 is provided with a widened portion 12 which hasan opening for loosely embracing the shaft 63. The free extremity of thelever 58 is forked to accommodate a rod 13, which is likewise mounted onbeam [2. The rod 13 carries a compression spring M, the lower end ofwhich seats upon a follower 13. The follower is normally engaged withthe free end of lever 68, thereby urging this lever downwardly andagainst the collar 66. Nuts 1! can be adjusted to vary the tension ofspring 14.

It is desirable that shafts 33 be nonrotatable about a vertical axis,and therefore each shaft is provided with a keyway l8 engaged by a key79 (Figure 5).

Additional roller means is provided for retaining the pipe between therollers Hi and BI. Thus the outer sides of the pipes are engaged by therollers 8|, which are journaled to the members 82. These members haveadjustable bolt and slot connections 83 with depending support members84. The support members in turn preferably have adjustable bolt and slotconnections 85 with brackets 86 which are mounted on the beam 52.

The inner opposed sides of the pipe are likewise preferably engaged byrollers 88 (Figures 6 and'i), which are journaled to the members 89.Members 39 have adjustable bolt and slot connections 9| with the lowerends of the support members 92. Members 92 in turn have adjustable boltand slot connections 93 with brackets 9 which are carried by the beamsE2.

The machine described above operates as follows: The working parts ofthe machine are first adjusted in accordance with the sizes of pipe tobe handled. Thus with two lengths of pipe in the machine and upon thedrive rollers hi, the tension of springs M is adjusted whereby therollers 6| are pressed downward with considerable force upon the pipes,and the locations of rollers 81 and 88 are adjusted so that theserollers enease the sides of the pipe, thus preventing the pipe frommoving laterally. Wheel 33 is turned to locate the angular positioningof drive rollers hi, in accordance with the rate of advancement desired.Rotating the hand wheel 33 in such a manner as to swing the driverollers clockwise as viewed in Figure 1, serves to increase the rate ofadvancement of the pipe, while adjustment to turn the drive rollers in acounterclockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 1, servesto decrease the advancing movement. Upon starting the electric motor 4!,the shaft 39 is driven continuously, and thereafter either one or bothof the pipes can be rotated and simultaneously advanced by engaging theproper clutch 48. Assuming that both clutches are engaged, the shafts 31are rotated, and this causes rotation of the bevel gears 69a, 60b, torotate the shafts It and drive rollers I4. Turning of the drive rollersi4 causes the pipes to be rotated, and simultaneously the pipes areadvanced longitudinally, because each roller M has its axis inclined tothe axis of the pipe. If during the operation of the machine it isdesired to adjust 'or modify the rate with which a pipe is beingadvanced, it is only necessary to turn the hand wheel 33 in onedirection or the other, to change the angular setting of the driverollers.

The pipe sections being handled by the machine may be either coupledtogether, by the use of suit- .5 able coupling devices, or new sectionsmay be introduced into the machine manually by applying their forwardends in abutting relationship with the rear ends of sections being fedfrom the machine.

It will be evident that my machine is particularly advantageous when iti desired to accurately feed pipe to operations when accurateadvancement for a given speed of rotation is necessary or advantageous.Thus my machine can be used to particular advantage Where it is desiredto feed pipe to operations for the application of protective wrappings.Wrappings of materials such as tar paper can be applied with accuratepositioning of adjacent convolutions, in order to avoid undesirableoverlap or a spacing between convolutions which would leave a part ofthe pipe improperly protected. The pipe can be rotated at speedssufficiently slow to facilitate application of bitumen and other coatingmaterials in conjunction with application of such wrapping. The machinehas high capacity particularly because it can feed two pipessimultaneously.

I claim:

1. In a pipe feeding machine, a base support, a

drive roller disposed on a horizontal axis, the

periphery of said roller being adapted to engage one side of ahorizontal pipe, a roller adapted to engage the diametrically oppositeside of the pipe to urge the pipe against said drive roller, ahorizontal shaft serving to mount the drive roller, a horizontalmounting plate, journal means carried by said mounting plate and servingto journal the end portions of the shaft, said plate having arcuatelycontoured end portions, a base plate carried by the base support andunderlying the mounting plate, arcuate guideways on the base plateserving to retain said arcuate end portions of the plate whereby saidmounting plate can be turned about a vertical axis, means including arotatable shaft extending through said mounting plates in alignment withsaid vertical axis for driving the drive roller, and means foradjustably turning the mounting plate about said vertical axis tothereby adjust the angle of the roller axis relative to the axis of thepipe.

2. A machine as in claim 1 in which said last named means consists of agear segment mounted upon the mounting plate and a rotatable worm gearrotatably mounted upon the base plate, the worm gear engaging the gearsegment to effect adjustment of the mounting plate responsive to turningthe worm gear.

3. In a pipe feeding machine, a base support, a drive roller, theperiphery of said roller being adapted to engage the underside of ahorizontal pipe, a horizontal shaft serving to mount the roller, meansserving to urge a pipe against the periphery of the roller to therebyprovide frictional driving engagement between the roller and the pipe, amounting plate underlying the roller, journal means carried by saidmounting plate and serving to support and journal the shaft, said platehaving arcuately contoured end portions, a base plate directlyunderlying the mounting plate and secured to said base support, arcuateguide ways carried by the base plate and engaging said arcuatelycontoured end portions of the mounting plate, whereby the head can beadjusted about a vertical axis which intersects the horizontal axis ofthe roller, a shaft concentric with said vertical axis and extendingthrough both said plates, a beveled gear attached to the upper end ofsaid shaft, and a beveled gear mounted upon said roller shaft andoperatively engaging said first named beveled gear, rotation of saidvertical shaft serving to drive the roller to cause rotation of thepipe.

WARREN A. KRANER.

REFERENCES CKTED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,814,320 Lynch July 14, 19312,038,204 Bidle Apr. 21, 1936 2,051,634 Carroll et a1 Aug. 18, 1936

